The test
by JAAD Shipper
Summary: Someone will be tested.
1. The Accident

  
Title: The Test.  
  
Authors Note: Joan works at a bakery in Arcadia and Adam works at an art gallery.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Joan of Arcadia and I don't own Bryan Adams either.  
  
It's summer time and Joan has worked for three weeks straight.  
  
Adam and Joan have not spent much time together, since they both have summer jobs. They are sitting on the couch watching Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and just enjoying being in each others company.  
  
"I'm glad that you took the day off, yo."  
  
"I know that we haven't spent much time together and for that I am truly sorry."  
  
"It doesn't matter,because we are together now and that's all that matters."  
  
Joan removes her head from Adam's shoulder, just long enough to give him a passionate kiss. Adam breaks the kiss.  
  
"I love this song," Joan says as the credits for the movie flow down the screen.  
  
Adam stands up and pulls Joan up with him.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Dance with me, Jane," Adam says as he pulls Joan into his arms.  
  
They move back and fourth to the music.  
  
"That guys good, Jane.  
  
"I know, this is one of my favorite songs",Joan says.  
  
"What's his name?" Adam ask.  
  
"Bryan Adams," Joan responds.  
  
Joan lays her head on Adam's shoulder.  
  
"From now on, Adam this song will have a very special meaning for me."  
  
"Why is that,Jane?"   
  
"Because i'm in the arms of the man that I love."  
  
"There's no where else that I would rather be than dancing with the woman I love",Adam says as Joan removes her head from his shoulder to look in his eyes.  
  
The next day Joan goes to work earlier than usual.  
  
Adam calls her on her cell phone.  
  
"I just wanted to know that you made it to work ok."  
  
"yeah, I made it just fine", Joan says.  
  
"I'll see you at 12:00", Adam says.  
  
"What makes you think that?" Joan ask.  
  
"We are supposed to have lunch together,Jane."  
  
"No, we aren't",Joan says.  
  
"yes, we are",Adam says.  
  
"No, we aren't", Joan says a bit of agitation in her voice.  
  
"Adam, I love you no matter who's right",Joan says.  
  
Adam hangs up on Joan.  
  
Later on that day,Joan is rushing around the kitchen to get something that she needs and she doesn't see a slick pool of cooking oil on the floor. Her feet go flying out from under her and her head hits the floor hard,then everything becomes dark.  
  
As Grace is walking down the street,she turns and stops abruptly as she sees an Ambulance stopped at the bakery, the back door open, then someone being wheeled into it on a gurney. Grace quickens her steps and walks closer, so she can see if she knows who the person is.  
  
The Ambulance pulls away.  
  
"Dang-it,I couldn't tell who that was",Grace thinks to herself.  
  
She walks into the bakery and sees a middle aged man sitting on a stool with his head in his hands.  
  
"what's wrong with you?" Grace ask in her Grace like way.  
  
"There's been an accident," he said as he raised his head to look at Grace.  
  
"Who was hurt?"Grace asked.  
  
"The fairly new girl with a strange sounding name."   
"Um...what was her name?" Grenade, Gernaldo."  
  
"I wish I could remember what her name is."  
  
"Was it by any chance Girardi?" Grace ask.  
  
"That's right,Girardi,Joan Girardi."  
  
"What happened?" Grace asked concern in her voice.  
  
"I don't really know what happened, because I was in the back unloading boxes and crates when I heard a crash and came running,then I found her on the floor not moving." "I phoned for an Ambulance as quickly as I could."  
  
Grace takes her cell phone out of her pocket and calls Adam's cell phone.  
  
This is what Adam hears when he answers the phone.  
  
Rove, Girardi, accident.  
  
"Calm down Grace and please speak in a full sentence."  
  
Grace tries to explain it again.  
  
"Rove, Girardi had an accident!" Grace yells over the phone.  
  
He drops the phone on the floor in shock.  
  
Then he picks his cell phone up,swallows hard as he ask this question.  
  
"Did you say that something happened to Jane?" He asked his voice full of horror.  
  
"Yes, Girardi's boss was in the back room,he heard a noise and came running, found Girardi on the floor and called for an Ambulance as quickly as he could.  
  
"I'm on my way to the hospital," Adam says.  
  
"Your at the Arcadia Art Gallery,aren't you? Grace ask.  
  
"yes."  
  
"Stay where you are Rove,I'm on my way."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Grace turns to the man sitting on the stool.  
  
"Listen up ok dude."You need to call Mr. Will Girardi and tell him that his daughter had an accident,"Grace says as she walks out the door. She gets into her car and drives to the mall to pick Luke up from the arcade.  
Grace walks up to Luke and puts a hand on his shoulder. He turns and looks at her.  
  
"We need to go, Luke, Grace says."  
  
"Luke, your wife's nagging you," Freidman says with a laugh.  
  
"I don't have time to kill you now Friedman,but I'll do it later," Grace says in an upset tone.  
  
"What's wrong Grace?" Luke ask as they walk to the parking lot and get in her car.  
  
"Girardi had an accident."  
  
"Joan had an accident?"  
  
"Yes," Grace says.  
  
"Is she Ok?" Luke ask  
  
"I don't know,Luke."  
  
"We aren't headed to the hospital," Luke says as he looks at Grace.  
  
"No we aren't,"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because we need to pick Rove up first, then we'll go to the hospital.  
  
"About twenty minutes later, Grace pulls into the parking lot of the art gallery and Adam comes running out of the door and climbs in the back seat of Grace's car.  
  
"It's a quiet ride to the hospital.  
  
All three of them walk into the hospital together,then head for the nurses desk.  
  
Adam crams his hands in his pockets and starts to pace back and fourth.  
  
Grace walks over to the desk and ask this question.  
  
"Can you tell me the condition of Joan Girardi?"  
  
"Yes, Miss Girardi is being prepped for surgery."  
  
"Meanwhile, Joan can hear voices, but they sound very far away.  
  
"It will be a miracle if this girl makes it," one doctor says to another one.  
  
She walks over to a beautiful green hill and gazes at the most beautiful blue sky that she has ever seen.  
  
She hears a familiar voice.  
  
"Hey Joan," Little Girl God says.  
  
"Is this Heaven?" Joan ask God.  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
"Am I dead?" Joan ask.  
  
"Not yet," God says.  
  
"Am I going to die?" Joan ask.  
  
"I can't tell you that, Joan."  
  
Meanwhile back on earth, Helen, Will and Kevin walk through the door at the hospital and Luke waves them over to a couple of chairs in the waiting room.  
  
"How's Joan?" Helen ask.  
  
"She's being prepped for surgery," Luke says.   
"Four hours later, a message comes over the loudspeaker. Girardi line three."  
  
Will heads for the bank of phones on the wall and answers the one marked number 3.  
  
When he walks back to the family, he has a very somber look on his face.  
  
"Joan is out of surgery,"but according to Dr Smith, she isn't out of the woods just yet.  
  
"She had a lot of pressure built up on her brain,so they drilled a hole in her skull to relieve that pressure."  
  
"Can I see her?" Adam ask.  
  
"Joan's in a coma and Intensive Care," Will says with sadness in his voice.  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Adam says.  
  
Can I see Jane or not?" Adam ask again.  
  
"We can all see Joan, but only for a few minutes."  
  
Everyone walks down the hall to the I.C.U. of the hospital.  
  
"I love you," Helen says as she kisses Joan on the cheek.  
  
"Daddy's here," Will says as he stands by Helen with his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Meanwhile in Heaven, Joan has set down on the grassy hill with both hands resting on her knees.  
  
"That was my mom and dad's voices that I just heard,Joan says as she looks at Little Girl God.  
  
"You look like hell,Girardi! Grace says as she lays her head on Luke's shoulder, then whispers in his ear that Joan is the closets thing that she has ever had to a sister and that she doesn't want to lose her. Luke puts his arms around Grace.  
  
"Well, Grace is definitely there," Joan says.  
  
"Who else is with me?" Joan ask.  
  
"Kevin and Luke are with you." God says.  
  
Helen and Will step back from Joan's bedside and Adam steps forward.  
  
Helen, Will, Luke Kevin and Grace all walk out of the room.  
  
"Hey Jane,I'm so sorry about the fight that we had earlier," Adam says with pain and sadness in his voice.  
  
"Come back to me, Jane," Adam sobs.  
  
"That was Adam's voice," Joan says with gladness as her heart leaps with joy.  
  
"I don't know why I said anything, because you probably can't her me anyway."  
  
Joan wants to yell that she does hear Adam,but she just doesn't have the strength.  
  
Meanwhile outside of the room, Dr. Smith is talking to Joan's family and to Grace.  
  
"If Joan doesn't come out of a coma soon, she might never."  
  
"What are you saying doctor?" Helen ask.  
  
"Things don't look too good for your daughter," Mr. and Mrs. Girardi,Dr. Smith says.  
  
"I'm sorry, but there is nothing else that we can do for her."  
  
He turns and walks back down the hall.  
  
Adam walks out of Joan's room and sees Helen crying on Will's shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong?" Adam ask.  
  
"The doctor just said, that if Girardi doesn't come out of a coma soon, then she might never," Grace says with sadness in her voice.  
  
"What?" Adam says in disbelief.  
  
"There's nothing else that they can do for her,Rove."  
  
"Adam turns and runs back up the hallway, then stops when he decides that he needs to find a quiet place to think.  
  
He finds the chapel walks inside, then he sits down in a pew and let's his memories wash over him.  
_  
"I love you Adam and I want us to be an us."  
_ _He remembers their first kiss._ _"Do you remember when I told you that had something to tell you?" Joan ask Adam._   
_"Unchallenged," He had said _  
  
_"I talk to God and he ask me to do things," Joan had said.  
_   
It still amazed Adam that he was the only one that knew that she talked to God.  
  
Adam's own words haunt him.  
  
"I love you honey, but I will never follow God again."  
  
If I believe that he existed, I would pray and ask him to help Jane, but since I don't that would be a waste of time, he thinks to himself.  
  
Adam smiles as the next memory washes over him.  
_"I think about being married all the time and I can't wait to be Mrs. Adam Rove." "Now are you happy mom?"_   
His heart leaped joyfully when he had overheard Jane say that.  
_"Are you crying, Jane?" He ask her after she had dropped baby Hope at the department of Human services._ _"Only a little," she had responded._   
Meanwhile in Heaven, Joan is asking God a question.  
  
"Why am I here?"  
  
"You had an accident,Joan that's one reason you are here."  
  
"What's the other one?"  
  
"Do you remember when I told you that I was proud of you, but that Adam was another matter?" God ask Joan.  
  
"Yes, I asked you what was wrong with him and you didn't answer my question."  
  
"I want Adam to believe in me and love me again."  
  
"Where do I come in?" Joan ask God.  
  
"I'm using this accident and your being in a coma to test Adam."  
  
Little Girl God turns and walks away from Joan.  
  
"Where are you going?" Joan ask.  
  
"I need to talk to Adam," God says.  
  
"Would you do me a favor, God?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Tell Adam that I can't stand to see him in pain."  
  
"You got it."  
  
Meanwhile back in the Chapel, Adam's next couple of memories hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
He remembers dancing to the song "Everything I Do" and the best part was having his Jane in his arms.  
  
The next memory Adam has is that he had a fight with her and that he hung up on her.  
  
The last memory hits him the hardest.  
  
"The dr. said that if Girardi doesn't come out a coma soon, then she might never."   
Adam thinks about his life without Joan.  
  
"I can't live without her," Adam says to himself as he fights for control of his emotions.  
  
"God I wish you were real, so I could tell you what I think about you."  



	2. For love of Jane

  
God in his cute boy form walks through the door of the Chapel.  
  
"Hey Adam, i'm Go."  
  
"Adam cuts him off with I know who you are."  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Well, you just said that you wanted to tell me what you thought about me, so go ahead.  
  
"You took my mother away from me, then you have the nerve to show up and tell me that you love me and that I would stop grieving in time."  
  
"Then you bring a wonderful person into my life and let me love her more than anyone else in the world and now she's in a coma and I could lose her."  
  
"I can't lose her," Adam says with raw emotion in his voice.  
  
"How can you turn your back on Jane when she does all those stupid assignments that you give her?"  
  
"I haven't turned my back on Joan,I am with her even now," God responds.  
  
Adam continues his railing.  
  
"You are supposed to be loving and kind, so how could you have let this happen in the first place?"  
  
"I have so many memories involving Jane, there are so many things that we have experienced and so many more that we will never get to."  
  
"Adam, listen to me for a minute."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Because I have a message from Joan," she ask me to tell you that she can't stand to see you in pain.  
  
"How does Jane know that I'm in pain?"  
  
"She may be in a coma, but she heard every word that was said in her hospital room," God says to Adam.  
  
"There's nothing that the doctors can do for her now."  
  
"That's right, Adam they can't."  
  
"There is something that I can do for Jane," Adam says.  
  
"But there's something that I need to do for myself first."  
  
His tone changes as he falls to his knees in front of God.  
  
"Father forgive me, because I have tried things my way and it's gotten me nowhere."   
"When I said that I hate you, I didn't mean it."  
  
"I was just mad, hurt and confused when my mom died."  
  
"I have no right to ask your forgiveness, but I am tired of doing things my way and I want to do them your way from now on."   
"In your name I pray Amen."  
  
"Arise my son, Adam for you are forgiven."  
  
Adam stands up, then he ask God this question.  
  
"Why did you forgive me?"  
  
"Adam, everyone sins at one time or another."  
  
"They do?" Adam ask.  
  
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ the son."  
Romans 6:23.   
"That's found in the Bible," Adam says.  
  
"That's right it is," God responds.  
  
"I need to be going now, but remember that I am always with you," God says as he turns and walks away.  
  
"Thanks for forgiving me and giving me a second chance," Adam says to God.  
  
God waves to Adam as he walks out the door.  
  
"It feels good to be right with God again," Adam thinks to himself.  
  
"If Jane comes out of a coma, I'll have to tell her all about this."  
  
Adam hits his knees again in prayer.  
  
"God,please help Jane to come back to me and her family and friends."  
  
"In your name I pray Amen."  
  
For the first time in a long time, he feels an overwhelming sense of peace come over him.  
  
He stands up walks out of the Chapel and back down the hall to the waiting room in Intensive Care.  
  
"It's getting late," Will says as he looks at Kevin and Luke. You guys need to go home and get some rest.  
  
Helen looks at Grace and Adam.  
  
"You guys need to go home and get some rest too."  
  
"I'm not leaving," Adam says as he looks at Helen and Will.  
  
"Rove, where have you been?" Grace ask him.  
  
"I just needed some time to think about things."  
  
"Well, I guess that I better call your father and tell him that you won't be coming home tonight."  
  
"I sure would appreciate that," Adam says as he gives Grace a thankful smile.  
  
"No problem, Rove"  
  
Kevin and Luke stand up.  
  
"Hey geek, are you riding with me or your brother?" Grace ask Luke.   
Another memory washes over Adam again.  
  
"From now on, Adam this song will have a very special meaning for me," Joan had said as she was in Adam's arms.  
  
He walks over to Luke.  
  
"Can I talk to you in private?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Adam and Luke walk out into the hallway.  
  
"Do you know if Jane has a Bryan Adam's CD?"  
  
"I'm sure that she does," Luke says.  
  
"That's good, because I need a favor from you."  
  
"What do you want me do?"  
  
"I need you to bring me that CD and a CD player."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because Jane loves that song "Everything I Do."  
  
"Are you going to play that song for Joan?" Luke ask Adam.  
  
"Luke, can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Sure," Luke responds.  
  
"I am going to sing that song to Jane," Adam responds.  
  
"You mean that you think that Joan can hear even though she's in a coma," Luke says with surprise in his voice.  
  
"I know she can," Adam says with confidence in his voice.  
  
"I'll bring you the stuff.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Adam and Luke walk back into the waiting room.  
  
"Come on let's go," Luke says as he looks at Grace.  
  
"Luke, Grace and Kevin all walk out of the hospital together.  
------   
Helen and Will sleep on one couch in the waiting room and Adam falls asleep on another couch.  



	3. Everything I Do

  
Authors Note: I misquoted the Bible verse in the 2 Chapter of this story. I regret that I made this mistake. Here is the correct verse from the KJV Bible.  
  
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."   
Romans 6:23  
--------------------   
At 6:00 the next morning, Adam Rove wakes up and runs a hand over the back of his neck.  
  
He stretches and yawns, then he heads to see Joan.  
  
He is sitting in a chair, holding her hand and talking to her.  
  
"Come back to me, because I have something very important to tell you," Adam says as he looks at Joan.  
  
Luke, Kevin and Grace have all returned to the hospital.  
  
Luke enters Joan's room, then hands Adam the CD and the CD player.  
  
"Thanks," Adam says as he plugs in the CD player  
  
Your welcome," Luke says as he leaves the room.  
  
He puts the CD in the player, then he turns the volume up. He presses the play button and sits down in the chair next to Joan's bedside, he holds her hand and starts to singing to her.  
  
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You  
  
Look into my eyes - you will see  
  
What you mean to me  
  
Search your heart - search your soul  
  
And when you find me there you'll search no more  
  
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
  
You know it's true  
  
Everything I do - I do it for you  
  
Look into my heart - you will find  
  
There's nothin' there to hide  
  
Take me as I am - take my life  
  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice  
  
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
  
Ya know it's true  
  
Everything I do - I do it for you  
  
There's no love - like your love  
  
And no other - could give more love  
  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
  
All the time - all the way  
  
Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
  
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you  
  
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you  
  
Ya know it's true  
  
Everything I do - I do it for you  
  
She is still sitting on the hillside, but she can hear the music and it feels like someone is holding her hand.  
  
God is standing beside her in his cute boy form.  
  
She can slowly feel strength returning to her body.  
  
"That song that's one of my favorite songs, Joan says as she looks at God.  
  
"It's Everything I Do, Joan says.  
  
"I can hear Adam's voice too, he is singing to me,she says with amazement in her voice.  
  
"You must go back Joan, because your family has been very worried about you."  
  
She can feel her body gaining strength rapidly now.  
  
Just as Adam finishes the last line of the song,he feels Joan squeeze his hand.  
  
"Wahoo!" Adam yells in excitement and everyone comes running.  
  
Grace is the first to speak.  
  
"Have you lost your mind,Rove?"  
  
"Jane squeezed my hand!"  
  
Helen walks over to Joan's bedside and Adam releases her hand and walks away, so that Helen can sit by Joan  
  
Honey, if you can hear me squeeze my hand?"  
  
Joan squeezes her mother's hand. She slowly opens her eyes, then she says one word.  
  
"Adam."  
  
"Thank God!" Adam says as he makes his way to Joan.  
  
Helen kisses her daughter on the cheek, says I love you and steps away from Joan. Will is standing beside Helen and they embrace in gladness.  
  
Adam walks to Joan's bedside.  
  
"Hey Jane, how do you feel?"  
  
"Well,my head hurts a little."  
  
"Adam, you said that you had something important to tell me.  
  
"Unchallenged."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Come on, let's give these two some privacy," Helen says as she looks at Joan and Adam.  
  
Joan's family and her friend Grace leave the room.  
  
"Now,what do you have to tell me?" Joan ask.  
  
Well,do you remember when I told you that I would never follow God again?  
  
"Yes, I remember."  
  
"I was wrong," Adam says as he looks at Joan.  
  
"Last night, I had an encounter with God and I ranted and railed at him about a lot of things, then he told me that I should listen to him."  
  
"He said that you had a message for me, he told me that you couldn't stand to see me in pain."  
  
"How does Jane know that I am in pain, I asked him and he told me that you had heard everything that was said in your hospital room."  
  
"How did this come about?" Joan ask in amazement.  
  
"Grace was with your family when the dr. told them that they had done all they could do for you."  
  
"I had just come out of your room and I saw your mom crying on your dad's shoulder."  
  
"I asked what was wrong and Grace answered my question."  
  
"I turned and ran up the hallway, then I decided that I needed to find a quiet place to think."  
  
"So I walked into the Chapel and sat down and started thinking about the memories that we have shared."  
  
"God showed up and like I mentioned earlier, I ranted and railed."  
  
"But He was working on my heart the whole time and by the time I had finished all that, I knew what I had to do."  
  
"I fell to my knees, right in front of God and I asked him for his forgiveness.'  
  
"Arise my son, Adam for you are forgiven," that's what God said to me.  
  
"I ask him how he could forgive me and he said that everyone had sinned at one time or another."  
  
"Then he quoted scripture on the subject."  
  
"I thanked him for forgiving me and giving me a second chance and he said that he would always be with me and waved and walked out the door."  
  
"I said a prayer for you before I left the Chapel."  
  
"It feels so good to be right with God again."  
  
"Wow!" that's awesome, Joan says as she looks at the man that she loves.  
  
"Thanks for singing to me, that was very sweet."  
  
"Your welcome, Jane."  
  
Joan lays her hand in Adam's, he stands up and leans down and their lips meet in a passionate kiss.  
  
Later on that day, Joan gets a clean bill of health and gets to go home.  
THE END. 


End file.
